French Guiana

Did you know?

• 🚀Europe's gateway to space — even though it sits in South America, this is where Europe launches its rockets, from the Kourou Spaceport (Guiana Space Centre). Just 5° north of the equator, the Earth's rotation gives every launch an extra speed boost and saves enormous amounts of fuel.
• 🇪🇺A slice of France — and the EU — in the Amazon. The currency is the Euro, the laws are French, and the borders are patrolled by French police, making French Guiana the largest EU territory outside Europe. Even so, about 90% of the region is covered in completely wild, dense Amazonian rainforest.
• ⛓Just off the coast lie the Salvation Islands, including the infamous Devil's Island — until the mid-20th century, one of the most brutal penal colonies in history, holding dangerous criminals and political prisoners. Treacherous currents, sharp rocks and sharks made escape considered impossible (though Henri Charrière claimed he managed it, and wrote the novel 'Papillon' about it).
• 🇧🇷Home to France's longest land border — not in Europe with Spain or Belgium, but in South America: thanks to French Guiana, France shares a continuous border of over 450 miles (730 km) with Brazil.